Transcript

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>> As the FBI and Congress investigate Russian meddling in the presidential race, US officials tell Reuters the plan to influence the campaign was concocted by a Russian think tank, controlled by Vladimir Putin. Reporter Ned Parker has the exclusive.>> What we discovered in talking with seven current and former US official that there is actually an internal think tank that reports to Russian Presidet Vladimir Putin that outlined the game plan in writing, in Russia government documents, of how the Putin administration planned to influence the U.S. electorate through a media and social media campaign.

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>> He said Trump is a genius.>> Trying to influence US voters to elect Donald Trump and discredit Hilary Clinton.>> The schemes blueprint coming from the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, closely linked to Russia's foreign intelligence service. Sources said the think tank proposed this strategy last June.

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A second document from the group produced in October, warned Hilary Clinton was likely to win the race, and argued it was better for Russia to sow doubt about the elections and undermine her presidency.>> It describes that it looks as though Hilary Clinton is going to win, so we should tailor our messaging away from pro-Trump propaganda to weakening, poisoning the well for the expected Clinton presidency.

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>> Officials telling Reuters both documents from in the think tank circulated at the highest level of Putin's government. Putin has denied interfering in the US election. The documents say nothing about Russian cyber-attacks or any collusion between Trump's campaign and the Kremlin. But, Parker says, they helped shape the US view of Russia's intentions.

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>> I think the officials would call it proof of the Russian intent in writing from the Russian government. So yes, a smoking gun along with other evidence, like a puzzle, there are missing parts and you put them in. One part of the puzzle is you have the hacking of the DNC and the stealing of emails from Clinton officials.

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So receiving these documents after the election were the final piece of the puzzle.